Class Features:Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A bard is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Bards are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).Because the somantic components required for bard spells are relatively simple, a bard can cast bard spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a bard wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do). A multiclass bard still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.

Spells: A bard casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers and wizards), which are drawn from the bard spell list (page 181). He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a wizard or cleric must (see below). Every bard spell has a verbal component (singing, reciting, or music).To learn or cast a spell, a bard must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 fro 1st-level spells and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bard's spell is 10 + the spell level + the bard's Charisma modifier.Like other spellcasters, a bard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: 3-4 The Bard. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1-1: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells, page . When Table 3-4 indicates that the bard gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance 1st-level spells for a 2nd-level bard), he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.The bard's selection of spells is extremely limited. A bard begins play knowing four 0-level spells (all called cantrips) of your choice. At most new bard levels, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table 3-5: Bard Spell Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a bard knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table 3-5 are fixed.)Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third bard level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a bard can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the bard "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level bard spell the bard can cast. For instance, upon reaching 5th-level, a bard could trade in a single 0-level spell (two levels lower than the highest level he can cast, which is 2nd) for a different 0-level spell. At 8t level, he could trade in a single 0-level or 1st-level spell (since he can now cast 3rd-level bard spells) for a different spell of the same level. A bard may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.As noted above, a bard need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell's level. For example, at 1st level, Gimble the bard can cast two 0-level spells per day for being 1st level (see Table 3-4: The Bard). However, knows four 0-level spells: detect magic, ghost sound, light, and read magic (see Table 3-5: Bard Spell Known). Thus on any given day, he can cast some combination of those four spells a total of two times. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he can cast.

Bardic Knowledge: A bard picks up a lot of stray knowledge while wondering the land and learning stories from other bards. He may make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to his bard level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places. (If the bard has 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (history), he gains a +2 bonus on this check.)A successful bardic knowledge check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a hint as to its general function. A bard may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random.

Bardic Music: Once per day per bard level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. Each ability requires both a minimum bard level and a minimum number of ranks in the Perform skill to qualify; if a bard does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the bardic music ability until he acquires the needed ranks.Starting a bardic music effect is a standard action. Some bardic music abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn't require concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component (see Components, page 174), a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic music. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.

Countersong (Su): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countersong, he makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack (such as sound burst or command spell) may use the bard's Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard's Perform check result for the save. Countersong has no effect against effects that don't allow saves. The bard may keep up the countersong for 10 rounds.

Fascinate (Sp): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and able to pay attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.To use the ability, a bard makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature's Will save against the effect. If a creature's saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the bard to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Courage (Su): A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.

Inspire Competence (Su): A bard of 3rd level or higher with 6 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use his music or poetics to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. Depending on the task the ally has at hand, the bard may use his bardic music to lift the ally's spirits, to help him or her focus mentally or in some other way. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard's music. The DM may rule that certain uses of this ability are infeasible — chanting to make the rogue move more quietly, for example, is self-defeating. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A bard can't inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.

Suggestion (Sp): A bard of 6th level or higher with 9 or more ranks in a Perform skill can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated (see above). Using this ability does not break the bard’s concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect.

Making a suggestion doesn’t count against a bard’s daily limit on bardic music performances. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 bard’s level + bard’s Cha modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature (but see mass suggestion, below). Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language dependent ability.

Song of Despair (Su): At 2nd level, a siren begins to enhance her already formidable sonic abilities with additional effects. Once per day, she can overlay a despair effect on her sonic attack identical to that of an emotion spell. Those affected by the sonic attack make their saving throws for that attack before resolving the despair effect. The Will save DC to resist this effect is 12 + the siren's level + the siren's Cha modifier. The despair effect lasts 1 round per siren class level.

Charisma Bonus (Ex): At 3rd level, a siren gains a +2 inherent bonus to her Charisma score. This bonus rises to +4 at 6th level and to +5 at 8th level.

Song of Nightmare (Su): At 4th level, a siren gains a new sonic ability. Once per day per level in this prestige class, she can overlay a terrifying effect on her sonic attack. This is identical to the effect of a phantasmal killer spell, affects all creatures within range of the siren's sonic attack, and has instantaneous duration. The Will and Fortitude saves to resist this effect have a DC of 12 + the siren's level + the siren's Cha modifier.

Song of Idiocy (Su): At 5th level, a siren gains a new sonic ability. Once per day per level in this prestige class, she can over- lay an Intelligence-damaging effect on her sonic attack. This is identical to the effect of a feeblemind spell, affects all creatures within range of the siren's sonic attack, and has instantaneous duration. The Will save to resist this effect has a DC of 12 + the siren's level + the siren's Cha modifier, and arcane spellcasters and creatures that use arcane spell-like abilitiestake a —4 penalty on their saves.

Song of Weakness (Su): At 7th level, a siren gains a new sonic ability. Once per day per level in this prestige class, she can overlay a level-draining effect on her sonic attack. This is identical to the effect of an enervation spell, except that all creatures within range of the siren's sonic attack are entitled to a Fortitude save to resist the effect, and it has instantaneous duration. The Fortitude save to resist this effect, and to remove the negative levels, has a DC of 12 + the siren's level + the siren's Cha modifier.

Song of Stone (Su): At 9th level, a siren gains a new sonic ability. Once per day per level in this prestige class, she can overlay a flesh to stone effect on her sonic attack. This is identical to the spell, affects all creatures within range of the siren's sonic attack, and has instantaneous duration. The Fortitude save to resist this effect has a DC of 12 + the siren's level + the siren's Cha modifier.Song of Death (Su): At 10th level, a siren's sonic attack reaches its zenith. Once per day, she can overlay a power word, kill effect on her sonic attack. This is identical to the spell cast as an area spell and has instantaneous duration.

Sublime Chord:

Spells per Day: A sublime chord has the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, all of 4th level or higher. To cast a sublime chord spell, a character must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so if she has a Charisma of 13 or lower, she cannot cast any sublime chord spells. Bonus spells are based on Charisma, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the sublime chord's Cha modifier. A sublime chord can choose spells from the sorcerer/wizard spell list or the bard spell list; if a spell appears on both lists at different levels, she uses the bard version of the spell. A sublime chord's caster level for both her sublime chord spells and the spells she gains from other arcane spellcasting classes is determined by adding her sublime chord level to her level in another arcane spellcasting class. If she had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a sublime chord, she must choose to which class to add her sublime chord levels for the purpose of determining her sublime chord spellcaster level. A sublime chord prepares and casts spells just as a sorcerer does, including the ability to replace a known sublime chord spell with a new spell at every even-numbered class level beginning at 4th.

Bardic Knowledge: A sublime chord continues to collect the odd bits of lore and knowledge that bards acquire. She can add her sublime chord class level to her bardic knowledge checks, so her bardic knowledge checks have a bonus equal to her bard level + her sublime chord level + her Int modifier.

Bardic Music: A sublime chord expands her repertoire of bardic music to encompass new songs or poetics of strange and wondrous power. These effects function just as the bardic music effects. Each use of a sublime chord song expends one daily use of the character's bardic music ability.A sublime chord adds one-half her class level (rounded down) to her bard level to determine her number of daily uses of bardic music.

Song of Arcane Power (Sp): A sublime chord of 2nd level or higher with 12 or more ranks in a Perform skill learns how to use her bardic music to assist her spellcasting. As a move action, she can prepare to cast a spell by giving voice to the song of power. The next spell she casts gains a bonus to its caster level based on the result of the sublime chord's Perform check.

Virtuoso:

Bardic Music: Virtuoso levels stack with bard levels for the purpose of determining the virtuoso’s daily uses of his bardic music abilities (if any) and the value of the bonus granted by inspire courage (if the virtuoso has that bardic music ability). For example, a 10th-level bard/4th-level virtuoso could use bardic music fourteen times per day, and his inspire courage ability would grant a +3 morale bonus on the appropriate rolls. A virtuoso also gains the fascinate bardic music ability, if he doesn’t already have it. He can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. See the bard class feature, page 29 of the Player’s Handbook.

Virtuoso Performance (Su): A virtuoso can use his Perform skill to create magical effects on those around him. He can use this ability once per day per virtuoso level. He can use any form of performance as part of this ability. Although many of the names refer to musical performances, a virtuoso isn’t actually so limited – for example, an actor could perform a “sustaining soliloquy” or “sustaining dance” rather than a sustaining song. Each ability requires both a minimum virtuoso level and a minimum number of ranks in any Perform skill to qualify. If a virtuoso does not have the required number of ranks in at least one Perform skill, he does not gain the virtuoso performance ability until he acquires the needed ranks.Starting a virtuoso performance effect is a standard action. Some virtuoso performance abilities require concentration, which means that the virtuoso must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Unlike with bardic music, virtuoso performance doesn’t restrict a virtuoso’s spellcasting or magic item activation. If a virtuoso’s performance requires sound, a deaf virtuoso has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use virtuoso performance. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. If a virtuoso has the bardic music class feature, he can spend two daily uses of bardic music to deliver a virtuoso performance.

Persuasive Song (Ex): A virtuoso with at least 11 ranks in a Perform skill can deliver a performance that sways the attitude of his audience. Treat this as a Diplomacy check made to influence NPC attitudes (see pages 71–72 of the Player’s Handbook), but replace the Diplomacy check with a Perform check. Viewers must be within 30 feet of the virtuoso, be able to see and hear him clearly, and be willingly paying attention to his actions. This ability requires at least 10 consecutive rounds of concentration to take effect, and it can affect a particular creature only once per day. Hostile audience members can’t be influenced with this ability.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: Beginning at 2nd level, a virtuoso gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If he had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a virtuoso, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.